Update:Slain Detective James Walker-Arrest Finally Made
Detective James Walker- Crime Fighter 24/7. He will be missed by his colleagues and the community.
Ricardo Ajuste, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder for a shooting that happened early Tuesday morning. Ajuste allegedly shot a man in the arm as he rode in a car with a woman.
Miami police Lt. Bill Schwartz said investigators believe that Walker stumbled upon the shooting and tried to stop Ajuste.
"Detective Walker is a hero. He was off the clock, but like all of us, never off duty. He heard gunshots. He responded. He shot back. He died," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said investigators are comparing ballistics from an AK-47 assault rifle found at the scene with bullets taken from Walker's body. They are also fingerprinting the gun for evidence.
"If it all matches up with Ajuste, he'll go from being a suspect to being charged with the murder of Detective Walker," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said that Ajuste is a member of a prominent gang in North Miami Beach.
"This area of North Miami Beach, this apartment complex specifically, is a drug hole for the gang," Schwartz said. "We hear that Ajuste is a major player in the gang and that using an AK-47 is just one of the things he does."
Schwartz said Ajuste apparently fired at the car because he was angry with the woman inside.
"We understand that the woman in the car had a date earlier with Mr. Ajuste," he said. "After he left, she had another date with someone else. Ajuste returned with an AK-47 because he didn't take kindly to her having another date. He found her in the car with the other guy and shot the hell out of the car, hitting the guy once in the arm."
Schwartz said that Walker went off-duty around 11 p.m. Monday and police believe that he was in North Miami Beach to visit his wife.
Walker's widow told The Miami Herald that she heard the shots fired from her apartment, but mistook them for fireworks.
Katinah Boursiquot, 30, disputed the police characterization of their relationship as estranged. The couple had eloped nine years ago.
"He was my world. My life. My world has been taken from me," she told the newspaper.
She told the newspaper that she called Walker her turtle because he was so shy and reserved. She said he "was very dedicated to his work."
"She cannot sleep, she cannot eat," said Boursiquot's mother. "I do my best to console her, but there is nothing that can replace her husband that she has just lost."
Walker was found dead in his unmarked patrol car just before 1 a.m. Tuesday.
"Even though Detective Walker was off the clock, he died in the line of duty," Schwartz said.
A tip led to Ajuste's arrest, police said. Investigators questioned numerous gang members, drug dealers and other sources after Walker's shooting.
Court records show Ajuste has had more than a previous dozen arrests for marijuana possession, lewd and lascivious battery on a child, trespassing, burglary and other charges.
About 40 hours after the crime, police divers were back at the scene looking for more evidence in a nearby canal.
Officer No Match For AK-47
Schwartz said Walker was found slumped over the wheel of his patrol car. He said it appeared that Walker tried to stop Ajuste, but he was no match for the high-powered rifle.
"The streets are full of these killing machines," Schwartz said. "We don't carry AK-47s. Our Glocks are good weapons, but they don't stand much of a chance. Even though Detective Walker was able to get a round off, he was no match for a guy with an AK-47."
The detective did not radio for help.
"We think everything happened way too fast," Schwartz said.
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